NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF FIRST-TERM CAREER PROGRESSION ON NAVY A-SCHOOL ATTRITION AND THE MILITARY EXPERIENCES OF A- SCHOOL STUDENTS AFTER ATTRITION by David Lee McNamara and James Mitchell Laury JUNE 1991 Thesis Advisor: Alice M. Crawford Thesis Co-Advisor: Mark J. Eitelberg Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited T256194 Unclassified SECURITYCLASSIFICATION OFTHIS PAGE FormApproved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMBNo0704-0188 1a. REPORT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 1b. RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS Unclassified 2a. SECURITYCLASSIFICATIONAUTHORITY 3. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITYOF REPORT Approved for public release 2b. DECLASSIFICATION/DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE Distribution is unlimited 4. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) 5. MONITORING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) 6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 6b. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School (IfapplicableA)S Naval Postgraduate School 6c. ADDRESS (City, StateandZIPCode) 7b. ADDRESS (City, State, andZIPCode) Monterey, CA 93943-5000 Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8a. NAME OF FUNDING/SPONSORING 8b. OFFICE SYMBOL 9. PROCUREMENT INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ORGANIZATION (Ifapplicable) 8c.ADDRESS (City, State, andZIPCode) 10. SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBER PROGRAM PROJECT TASK WORK UNIT ELEMENT NO. NO. NO ACCESSION NO. 11.TITLE (IncludeSecurityClassification) AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF FIRST-TERM CAREER PROGRESSION ON NAVY A-SCHOOL ATTRITION AND THE MILITARY EXPERIENCES OF A-SCHOOL STUDENTS AFTER ATTRITION 12. PERSONAL AUTHORS DAVID LEE MCNAMARA and JAMES M. LAURY . 13a.TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVERED 14. DATE OF REPORT (Year, Month, Day) 15. PAGE COUNT Master's Thesis FROM TO JUNE 1991 103 16. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTATION The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government 17. COSATICODES 18. SUBJECTTERMS (Continueonreverseitnecessaryandidentitybyblocknumbers) A-School attrition FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP 19. ABSTRACT (Continueonreverseifnecessaryandidentitybyblocknumbers) The objective of this study is to contribute to the Navy's knowledge and understanding of high A-School attrition. The study organized the available data concerning attrition in the Navy's training programs, evaluated its significance, and offers prospective solutions. The significance of the data of personal characteristics may then aid the Navy in selecting those personnel with a higher propensity to succeed. 20.XDXISUTNRCILBAUSTSIIOFNI/EADVA/IULNALBIIMLIITTEYDOF ABSTSRAAMCETAS RPT DTIC USERS 21.AuBnSTcRlAaCTsSsEiCUfRiITeYdCLASSIFICATION 22a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL 22b. TELEPHONE (IncludeArea Code) 22c. OFFICE SYMBOL Alice M. Crawford (408) 646-2841 AS/Cr DD Form 1473, JUN 86 Previous editions are obsolete. SECURITYCLASSIFICATION OFTHIS PAGE S/N 0102-LF-014-6603 Unclassified i Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited An Examination of the Effects of First-Term Career Progression on Navy A-School Attrition and the Military Experiences of A-School Students After Attrition by David Lee McNamara Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., State University of New York, Brockport, 1984 James Mitchell Laury Lieutenant, United States Navy B.A., Kutztown University, 1984 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL JUNE 1991